Simulated costume or theatrical footwear



.Feb. 21, 1967 M. D. MEYERS SIMULATED COSTUME OR THEATRICAL FOOTWEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, was

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SIMULATED COSTUME OR THEATRICAL FOOTWEAR Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OOOOOOOOOO [N VE/V 7'02.

United States Patent Office 33%,629 Patented Feb. 21, 11967 3,304,629 SIMULATED COSTUME R THEATRICAL FOOTWEAR Michael D. Meyers, 9627 Burnet Ave, Sepulveda, Calif. 91343 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,453 6 Claims. (Cl. 367.2)

This application relates to simulated costume or theatrical footwear and more particularly to footwear which is to be used with conventional shoes.

Heretofore, when furnishing costumes requiring specific type of historical footwear, it has always been necessary to construct the complete footwear, including soles, heels, and uppers, all in the particular size of the foot of the wearer. It has been found in the motion picture industry requiring period costumes, that the expense of preparing the proper footwear has been quite considerable, particularly when there are a number of individuals in the picture who must be fitted with the costume of the times including the footwear.

Additionally, the preparation of costume footwear has normally required that the material used in the constructionof the complete footwear be authentic so that the proper height, decoration and style may be maintained.

In order to achieve the desired results when the costume footwear ofspecific periods has been constructed in the past, theproblem of cleaning and maintaining said footwear has been extremely time-consuming, and involving money and equipment to restore the natural material of the costume footwear for use in subsequent theatri-cals and/or motion pictures.

It is an object of this invention to provide simulated costume or theatrical footwear which is constructed for a'dequate to simulate the period and style of footwear desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simulated costume and theatrical footwear wherein the wearer of the simulated footwear wears a conventional shoe for comfort and protection, and the simulated costume or theatrical footwear is applied over the conventional shoe, up the leg as necessary for boots, etc., with the heel of the wearers convention-a1 shoe extending through the simulated footwear for direct contact with the ground.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simulated costume or theatrical footwear wherein a fastening means may be employed when the desired footwear is to fit the calf or leg of the wearer snugly and/or when the material used in constructing the simulated footwear is required to be stiff and nor1-yielding. Such fastener will allow ease of access into the footwear of the shoe of the wearer.

These and other objects of the invention will be made more fully apparent from a consideration of the descri tion which follows taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the simulated costume or theatrical boot with a leg, foot and conventional shoe shown in dotted lines in place within the simulated boot;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the simulated costume or theatrical boot illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational, partly cross-sectional, enlarged view of the boot illustrated in FIGURE 1, with a persons leg and conventional shoe shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the simulated costume and theatrical boot illustrated in FIGURES 1-3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vamp and sole of the simulated boot in FIGURE 3 taken on line 6-6 thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 3, illustrating one form of construction of the simulated costume or theatrical footwear;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of boot illustrating a modified sole construction;

FIGURES 9l1 illustrate simulated costume boots involving structure similar to the boot construction illustrated in FIGURE 1 and representing boots worn during the time of Louis XIII, Flemish and German Gothic and Hessian boots (Circa 1800), respectively;

FIGURES 12-15 illustrate simulated costume or theatrical boots of modified construction exemplified in FIG- URES 8, and representing period footwear such as Italian Renaissance, Peasant leather boot which buttons to trousers, and Italian Medieval Gothic, respectively.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIGURES 1 through 7, 9 through 11, and 14, illustrate a two-piece simulated costume or theatrical boot or footwear 20. The host 20 is preferably formed with an inner sole 22 and an outer sole 24. Both the inner and outer soles 22 and 24 terminate adjacent the rear of the soles shank portions or arch sections 26, forming a heel stop 28 against which the front edge of the heel of a shoe (illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 3) bears, when the foot of the wearer is. inserted into the simulated boot 20.

A vamp 30 of the usual configuration is mounted on the inner sole 22 by means of stitching 32 passing through an annular inturned flange 34 of the vamp 3t) and an annular inturned flange 36 of the inner sole 22. It has been found that in the simulation of certain types of costume or theatrical boots, the vamp 30 may be made of soft pliable material requiring only a single layer of material. However, the construction of a boot such as illustrated in FIGURE 15 requires added reinforcement in the vamp either of multiple layers or a relatively nonfiexible material which will act as a foundation for the built-up toe section of the boot.

Secured to the vamp 30, along a rearward terminal edge 38 thereof, is a boot upper 40, which in the case of the boots illustrated, extends upward to cover a portion of the wearers leg.

The boot upper 40 is generally elliptical in cross-section, such as illustrated in FIGURE 5, and is normally adapted to fit the leg of the wearer at least at the sides of the leg. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5, there is included an inner reinforcing layer of material 42 to form a relatively stiff, non-yieldable boot upper, such as is the case with a US. Calvary boot illustrated in FIGURE 1, or a Hessian boot illustrated in FIGURE 11. While the upper is illustrated as being formed with two layers of material, any suitable single layer of material possessing the required non-yieldable property may be used.

The upper 40 includes a curved lower rear counter portion 44 of the usual configuration which is adapted to engage the counter portion of the wearers shoe.

The vamp 30 ,is preferably secured to the boot upper 40 by stitching 46 adjacent the terminal edge 38 of the vamp and a terminal edge 48 of the upper 40. However, the securement may be accomplished by an adhesive without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be noted that the edge 38 is biased upwardly and forwardly relative to a vertical plane. That is, it extends on a line generally from the heel stop 28 to the height of the wearers ankle. Such biasing of the vamp, mated with the forward terminal edge 48 of the boot upper 40 corresponding with the edge 38 and outwardly overlapping as seen in FIGURE 7, will allow greater freedom of the wearers shoe as it is inserted in the boot vamp 20. In other words, the vamp can be flexed downward with relative ease to an angle at least generally perpendicular to the edge 48, so that a foot and shoe can be inserted quickly and conveniently.

The curved counter portion 44 of the upper 40 extends around and forward terminating on each side of the sole 24 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The formation of the counter 44 with the heel stop 28 defines an opening 50 corresponding in shape to a conventional shoe heel and is adapted to allow a shoe heel 52 of the wearer to be inserted therethrough, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, and in phantom lines in FIGURE 3.

In order to facilitate inserting a persons foot into such footwear when it is made of heavy, non-yielding materials, or is to be tightly fitted, upper 40 is provided with a conventional zipper-type slide fastener generally designated 53. Slide fastener 53 opens or closes the cooperating sides 53a and 53b of a slotted opening (shown closed) extending vertically in the rear of upper 40, from an upper slot end 54 disposed near a wearers calf, to a lower slot end 56 near the rear of a wearers ankle.

Thus, when a particular theatrical costume is to be used with a simulated boot in accordance with this invention, the wearer will open fastener 53 and insert his leg into the boot so that his shoe heel 52 protrudes through opening 50, and his shoe toe extends into the space defined by vamp 30 and inner sole 22. Then, by closing fastener 53, upper 40 is fitted around the wearers leg closely enough to hold the boot in position. When the boot is made of very flexible material, or when it is to be fitted loosely around a wearers leg, fastener 53 and the slot which it closes and opens may be omitted.

The embodiment of this invention illustrated in FIG- URE 8 is comprised of a unitary upper 40 and vamp 30' made of a single layer of material. Vamp 30' is joined to a single layer sole 24' by stitching 32. Sole 24' terminates at a rear edge heel stop 28', which, in cooperation with the curved lower rear counter portion 44' of upper 40, defines an opening conforming to the shape of a conventional heel. A slide fastener 53, on the rear of upper 40', closes a vertical slot therein as in the previously described embodiment.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are practical and preferred examples of the same, and that changes may be resorted to within the scope of my invention which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace all equivalent structures.

What is claimed as the invention for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. A simulated costume boot made of relatively unyieldable material for use with a conventional shoe comprising: a vamp portion; a sole secured to said vamp, :said vamp portion and said sole defining a shoe receiving pocket; a boot upper united to said vamp portion by a fiexible seam extending from the front of a wearers ankle to the arch of said wearers shoe so as to provide a flexible juncture about which said boot can be bent and so as to provide a cover which .fits around at least a portion of a wearers leg; said boot upper including a curved lower rear counter portion whereby an opening is defined between the rear edge of said sole and the counter portion of the boot upper conforming to and through which the heel of a wearers shoe can protrude; and said vamp, sole and upper conceal a wearers entire shoe except for the heel thereof.

2. A simulated costume boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the boot upper covers at least a portion of the calf and the ankle of a wearers leg, and the upper includes a vertically slotted opening extending from near the wearers calf to near the wearers ankle, and a slide fastener is cooperatively attached to the sides of said slotted opening so as to provide a means for opening and closing it.

3. A simulated costume boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear edge of said sole provides a heel stop which bears against the forward edge of the heel of a wearers shoe.

4. A simulated costume boot as defined in claim 3, wherein said vamp portion terminates at a rear edge which extends upwardly and is inclined forwardly from the heel stop to about the height of a wearers ankle, and said rear edge of the vamp portion is united with and outwardly overlaps a mating forward edge of the boot upper said uniting of said rear edge of said vamp portion and said mating forward edge of said boot upper being provided by the flexible seam.

5. A simulated costume boot made of relatively unyieldable material for use with a conventional shoe comprising:

(a) a sole terminating in a rear edge heel stop adapted to bear against the forward edge of the wearers heel;

(b) a vamp secured to said sole so as to define a shoe receiving pocket, said vamp terminating at a rear edge which extends upwardly and is inclined forwardly from said heel stop to about the height of a wearers ankle;

(c) a boot upper adapted to extend around at least a portion of a wearers leg, said boot upper having a forward edge mating with the rear edge of said vamp, and a curved lower rear counter portion conforming to the counter portion of a wearers shoe; and

(d) said rear edge of the vamp being outwardly overlappingly secured by means of a flexible seam to said forward edge of the boot upper so as to define an opening between the heel stop of said sole and the counter of said boot upper'through which a wearers heel can protrude and said vamp, sole and counter conceal the remainder of a wearers shoe. I

6. A simulated costume boot for use with a conventional shoe as defined in claim 5, wherein the boot upper covers at least a portion of the calf and the ankle of a wearers leg, the upper includes a vertically slotted opening extending from near the wearers calf to near the wearers ankle, and a slide fastener is cooperatively attached to the sides of said slotted opening so as to provide a means for opening and closing it, whereby the foot of a wearer may "be inserted in said boot with relative ease when said fastener is open.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS,

1,219,507 3/1917 Teare 36-7.2 1,652,631 12/1927 Radway 367.2 2,151,350 3/1939 Glawka 36--7.2 X 2,230,380 2/1941 Johst 367.2 X 2,250,794 7/1941 Finegan 367.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 434,512 4/1935 Great Britain.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SIMULATED COSTUME BOOT MADE OF RELATIVELY UNYIELDABLE MATERIAL FOR USE WITH A CONVENTIONAL SHOE COMPRISING: A VAMP PORTION; A SOLE SECURED TO SAID VAMP, SAID VAMP PORTION AND SAID SOLE DEFINING A SHOE RECEIVING POCKET; A BOOT UPPER UNITED TO SAID VAMP PORTION BY A FLEXIBLE SEAM EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT OF A WEARER''S ANKLE TO THE ARCH OF SAID WEARER''S SHOE SO AS TO PROVIDE A FLEXIBLE JUNCTURE ABOUT WHICH SAID BOOT CAN BE BENT AND SO AS TO PROVIDE A COVER WHICH FITS AROUND AT LEAST A PORTION OF A WEARER''S LEG; SAID BOOT UPPER INCLUDING A CURVED LOWER REAR COUNTER PORTION WHEREBY AN OPENING IS DEFINED BETWEEN THE REAR EDGE OF SAID SOLE AND THE COUNTER PORTION OF THE BOOT UPPER CONFORMING TO AND THROUGH WHICH THE HEEL OF A WEARER''S SHOE CAN PROTRUDE; AND SAID VAMP, SOLE AND UPPER CONCEAL A WEARER''S ENTIRE SHOE EXCEPT FOR THE HEEL THEREOF. 